What inspired me to pursue medicine was the need for high-quality culturally competent physicians in the Latino community. As immigrants from Acapulco, Mexico, my family and I searched for a better life and access to healthcare in America. However, after settling in Moreno Valley, I faced a harsh reality as our healthcare needs felt unmet, such as being forced to translate during our doctor’s visit when I hardly knew English and medical jargon. None of the doctors knew about our cultural needs. We were compelled to travel to the border for affordable care and to see doctors, who looked more like family, for care that fit our needs. I matriculated as an undergraduate at the University of California, Riverside, and discovered there were systems in place to address the health equity gaps and cultural competency barriers that my family faced. I found my passion working at free clinics, acting as an interpreter and patient advocate for patients in Riverside Free Clinic and San Bernardino Free Clinic. I connected disenfranchised communities of migrant workers, the undocumented, and vulnerable populations to healthcare and rebuilt their trust by understanding their lives and advocating for them, as I too experienced these barriers. I learned about our patients who also traveled thousands of miles like my family to get to this clinic. These stories, among others, inspired me to pursue physicianship and care for families within Riverside County and continue my mission for accessible and equitable healthcare. After finishing my undergraduate education at UCR, I chose to continue my medical education at UCR SOM for its mission and dedication to the Inland Empire and my home in Riverside County. I wanted my journey in medicine to come full circle. It was in Riverside, at the countless health fairs and community events I attended, where I found my "fit" in medicine as a patient advocate for the Latino population. I continued many of the pipeline programs dedicated to service in the Inland Empire as part of medical student leadership and fought for our free clinics to stay open during the peak of the pandemic. Understanding that we were the only healthcare many of our underserved patients had, we worked with public health agencies and the school to continue to provide for our patients. I wanted to also impact the health professional community, serving as a mentor for premedical students in Riverside County and acting as a role model for other like-minded Latino students wishing to pursue medicine through Latino Medical Student Association and Future Physician Leaders. Working as a volunteer, patient advocate, leader, and mentor allowed me to realize my passion and become the physician my family needed. I am indebted to the community that raised me and gave me the opportunity to find my life’s passion as a future physician for the area. Working in my community means caring for loved ones, my classmates, and the community I have grown with since leaving my hometown. The impact of this scholarship would be incredibly significant as I am a student without any income besides my tutoring position. With upcoming costs that include board exams, additional question banks, away rotations and housing, and overall residency application costs, I do not have the financial resources to fully support my endeavors to pursue family medicine. This scholarship would allow me to access better preparatory materials to succeed on my board exams as well as take away financial stress from a lessened burden. Ultimately, this scholarship represents not only necessary financial support for a medical student, but also an affirmation of my efforts in my commitment to the community.